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‘Be wary:’ FBI warns shoppers of holiday scams as Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales kick off

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‘Be wary:’ FBI warns shoppers of holiday scams as Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales kick off

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The holiday shopping season has returned, and so has the potential for scams.

The FBI warns shoppers to “always” be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, especially as you begin to scope out Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals out online or in-person.

“Every year, thousands of people become victims of holiday scams,” the FBI said in a post on its website. “Scammers can rob you of hard-earned money, personal information, and, at the very least, a festive mood.”

Shoppers should be especially cautious of “grifts” like auction fraud, non-delivery scams, gift card fraud and non-payment scams as they are some of the most common. Most, if not all, of these cons involve shoppers making a payment in exchange for a product or service that was misrepresented and never shipped or received.

Non-payment and non-delivery scams cost consumers more than $309 million dollars in 2023, with credit card fraud accounting for another $173 million dollars in losses, according to a report by the FBI’s Internet Complaint Center.

“The [Internet Complaint Center] receives a large volume of complaints in the early months of each year, suggesting a correlation with the previous holiday season’s shopping scams,” according to the FBI.

Here’s what you should know about holiday scams, including ways to avoid them and protect your wallet, this shopping season.

‘Don’t become a scammer’s next victim,’ FBI says in warning letter

Holiday shopping scams to watch out for

In an effort to protect the public from falling prey to scammers as they do their holiday shopping, the FBI has offered some keys ways to avoid any potential funny business, whether you happen to be the buyer or seller.

There are a few ways you can protect yourself and your wallet, including “practicing good cybersecurity hygiene, knowing who you’re buying from or selling to, being careful how you pay and monitoring the shipping process.”

And “remember: If it seems too good to be true, that’s because it is,” the FBI warned.

Here are some more detailed suggestions you should think about as you start to shop, courtesy of the FBI:

  • Avoid clicking on any “suspicious” links or attachments in emails, on websites, or on social media, be especially wary if you are prompted to provide any personal information in order to obtain access.
  • Verify all website URLs are “legitimate.” The telltale sign of a secure connection is a padlock in the address bar and “https” at the beginning of the full address, according to Forbes. If it is not “secure,” or looks like it is, move on.
  • Do your research and check reviews before you purchase from an unknown company for the first time. It’s best to avoid buyers or sellers with mostly unfavorable reviews, or no reviews at all if you’re looking to purchase an item from an online marketplace or an auction website.
  • Don’t buy products from sellers “who act as authorized dealers or factory representatives of popular items in countries where there would be no such deals” or who “post an auction/advertisement in the U.S. but respond to questions by stating they are out of the country on business, family emergency, or similar reasons.”
  • Steer clear of buyers who offer dodgy shipping arrangements, or who offer to avoid customs, taxes or fees. As well as risky payment arrangements like wire transfers or pre-paid gift cards.
  • Dispute suspicious transactions.
  • Keep a record of all transactions, tracking information and shipping details to keep track of all purchases.
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